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The entrance to Guanabara Bay, leading to the cities of Niterói and Rio de Janeiro, is flanked by forts, such as São João. Portugal established numerous forts along the coast to protect its colony, as far north as the Amazon. ln addition, the coastal mountain ranges served as barriers to exploration of the interior. Ignoring the Tordesillas treaty of 1494 (which gave large areas now in Brazil to Spain), various bandeiras (adventuring parties of armed settlers) set out from São Paulo to search for precious metaIs and raid Spanish lndian reductions (settlements of pacified lndians under Jesuit supervision). Ranging along the Paraná river and even along the Amazon, the bandeiras helped Portugal secure the vast Brazilian hinterland into its domain. Portugal was able to give its huge colony a common culture and language, Portuguese.